@Jdne5b and
@Ned Ludd , I know you guys have experimented with the 88s and a few of the other 223 offerings out there. To date do any of them provide better performance on target than the 90VLD, assuming you get them all to shoot with about the same precision?
I'm getting my 223 back with a new barrel before too long. Just wondering if I should chase another bullet or stick with the 90VLDs?
In my hands, the 88 G7 BC is running ~0.300 to 0.305 via LabRadar velocity decrease data. Side by side testing with pointed 90 VLDs gives me approximately 0.288 to 0.292 G7 BC, which matches very closely both the predicted effect of pointing, and drop data at distance on the target, so take that for whatever it's worth.
In my hands, the 88s showed very good precision out of a 30" 6.8-twist barrel throated with 0.220" fb, at ~.015 off the lands, loaded over Varget at ~2830 fps. Unfortunately, they were shedding jackets in that barrel at the stated velocity.
I have recently done some preliminary testing with slightly reduced loads (around 2760 to 2770 fps) with both Varget and H4895 in a new 7-twist 30" barrel throated with 0.169" fb (223 Rem ISSF reamer) and the results were not as solid in terms of precision as the 2830 fps load in the 6.8-twist barrel. The best news is that no jackets have been lost so far in the 7-twist barrel.
H4895 clearly gave noticeably better precision than Varget with
both bullets, but the 90 VLDs over H4895 gave tighter groups than the 88s across a range of conditions. The 88 groups at the slower velocity weren't bad, maybe in the 0.3 to 0.4 MOA range at the optimal seating depths, but the 90s were giving a single ragged hole under similar conditions. It could be argued that the loads I tested with either bullet were not fully optimized in terms of charge weight. Nonetheless, the problem with loading the 88s in that particular rifle is that 0.169" fb is not sufficient. IMO - the 0.220" fb works, but something like 0.240" or 0.250" fb might be even better. The 88 has a very long bearing surface. The 0.169" fb puts the boattail/bearing surface junction well below the neck/shoulder junction, which is not optimal in terms of velocity, precision, or brass life.
I also tried N140 and IMO, that powder is simply not suitable for the 88s or 90s in a .223 throated with 0.169" fb. Predicted pressure (QL) is markedly higher with N140 as compared to Varget or H4895, the velocity was lower, and the primer pockets agreed with the predicted high pressure. I think the 88s might shine with a 7-twist barrel throated sufficiently long loaded over H4895 or Varget, but I don't currently have a rifle set up with that particular setup. Even though I like the 88s and feel like they show some promise, I still think the 90 VLD is the king of heavy .224 bullets. As noted, a definitive answer will need to await a 7-twist barrel throated sufficiently long to load the 88s optimally, which is something I won't have for quite some time.
